Authorities delay implementation of refugee cessation clause

Implementation of the Cessation Clause on Rwandan refugees might take longer than expected unless those responsible honour their pledges, Seraphine Mukantabana, the minister for disaster management and refugee affairs, has said. The minister was meeting lawmakers in the Lower House, yesterday, for a consultative meeting on the implementation of the UN refugees clause. Mukantabana said 3.4 million refugees had repatriated since 1994, majority of them from DR Congo. She pointed out challenges hampering the repatriation of 280,000 more who remain at large across 20 countries. They evolved around laxity of some key agencies, including the UNHCR, the UN Security Council, refugee host countries for their reluctance to promotevoluntary repatriation and financing. “The reluctance of the international community to completely disband and or disarm members of armed groups can make the Cessation Clause difficult to implement. We have also realised that some UNHCR staff have been dismissing voluntary repatriation to keep their monthly checks,” she said. Under the convention signed between Rwanda and countries hosting refugees in Geneva last year, resolved that, among others, host nations halt all critical assistance to Rwandan refugees after December 31; and their refugee status would be scrapped. “This means that people who might need assistance to return home requiring UNHCR assistance might not be supported through the same agency. “We have been pushing for this to happen since, from our monitoring exercises, we had noticed that some staff of the UNHCR wanted to keep Rwandan refugees in their host countries to serve their own interests,” she added. The average returning rate has been around 2000 a year, while DR Congo has announced that close to 245,000 might be living in their country. As per the clause, a refugee can choose to settle in the host country through legal channels and or only if the person applies again for special refugee status. The lawmakers, however, called for a push of UN Security Council’s 2007 resolution to uproot all armed forces in DR Congo, including members of FDLR, who hamper voluntary repatriation. Many FDLR elements are linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The legislators argued that evidence suggests many Rwandans want to return home but are dissuaded from doing so by self-seeking elements. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Authorities delay implementation of refugee cessation clause